Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 SCOTUS Drafts Opinion To Overturn Roe v Wade
The leak of a draft opinion from the Supreme Court may be the first breach of its kind. POLITICO has published a draft document from the high court showing the conservative majority is preparing to overturn Roe v. Wade. The landmark case guaranteed federal constitutional protections of abortion rights. POLITICO reports that no draft decision has ever been disclosed publicly while a case was still pending. Now keep in mind, this is not a final decision of record – and by all accounts, draft opinions often change before they’re officially decided and published. In this case, it's unclear if the draft will be changed before it’s released. But it’s caused enough concern that protestors on both sides of the argument marched in front of the Supreme Court last night. The final decision is expected within the next two months – and in the meantime, investigators are trying to figure out the source of the leak.
2 U.S. Embassy Hopes To Return To Kyiv By End Of Month
The U.S. embassy in Ukraine is hoping to make its return to the capital city by the end of this month. The return all depends on if the conditions in Kyiv allow it to happen. An official said they're listening to security professionals and when it's safe to go back, they "will go back." The U.S. decided to close the embassy in Kyiv on February 14th, around ten days before Russia invaded Ukraine. The embassy essentially “moved” to Poland in the meantime. Some Western countries have already moved their embassies back to Kyiv as the main focus of fighting in Ukraine has moved away from the capital to the east and south of the country. So with the press conference of yesterday, the U.S. has officially resumed diplomatic activities in Ukraine and the U.S.’ acting ambassador to Ukraine said the embassy may return to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv by the end of May.
3 Tulsa Race Massacre Reparation Lawsuit To Proceed
A judge says a lawsuit seeking reparations for the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921 can proceed. The ruling from Judge Caroline Ward comes after the defendants, which include the city of Tulsa, sought a motion to dismiss the case altogether. The suit was originally filed in March of last year and looks to create a special fund for survivors and descendants of the massacre that left at least 300 Black people dead over two days. The ruling means the U.S. could be held accountable for justice never being served in the racial attack. "We believe this is the last opportunity for these survivors to have their day in court," says Civil rights attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons. "We want to ask (the judge) to move forward and move forward as soon as possible." As for the living survivors involved in the suit, they are 107-year-old Lessie Benningfield Randle, 107-year-old Viola Fletcher, and 101-year-old Hugh Van Ellis.